Honouring our heroes and heroines : Theodosia Okoh deserved better
On June 14, 1922, little did Rev. Emmanuel Victor Asihene and Mrs Dora Asihene (both of blessed memory ) imagine that they had given birth to a national heroine, whose name would forever be attached to the Republic of Ghana.
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On that day, little Theodosia Salome Abena Kumea Asihene, from Anum in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, was born at Effiduase-Ashanti, as the fourth of her parents’ eight children.
Her father later became the first Ghanaian moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, while she went through basic education to teacher training college to become a professional teacher. After a three-year training in art at the Achimota School, she became a qualified artist, hence becoming an art teacher, just as her father began life as an art teacher in the Gold Coast before becoming a reverend minister.
In the nick of independence, according to Theodosia, a national advertisement was placed asking Ghanaians to design a flag for the country to be used upon independence to replace the Union Jack, the British flag, which the Gold Coast had used under colonial rule.
As an artist, she designed a flag and put in her entry, which was eventually selected to be the national flag of the newly independent Ghana. This brought Theodosia Salome Abena Kumea Asihene to the limelight, as the designer of the national flag unveiled on March 6, 1957.
Meaning of flag colours
Explaining in an interview why she chose the colours red, gold the and green in the flag, she said the green was chosen because Ghana lies in the tropics and is blessed with rich vegetation; the gold was influenced by the mineral rich nature of the country, and red commemorates those who died or worked for the country’s independence. She added that the five-pointed lone star symbolised African emancipation and unity in the struggle against colonialism.
Theodosia later married Mr Enoch Kwabena Okoh, Head of the Civil Service during Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s regime, and became known as Theodosia Salome Okoh.
Several accounts indicate that she provided a pivotal support for her husband, who later became the Cabinet Secretary of Nkrumah’s government.
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Besides designing the national flag, Theodosia Okoh was also credited with the creation and development of the national hockey pitch in Accra. She became the Chairman of the Ghana Hockey Association and later President of the Ghana Hockey Federation for over 20 years.
According to her own account, the place which became the national hockey pitch was muddy and was to be turned into a lorry park but she stepped in to develop the place into a hockey pitch because of her interest in the game of hockey during her days at Achimota School.
It was during her leadership of Ghana hockey that the country first qualified for both the Hockey World Cup and the Olympic Games. Delighted by her achievement, Ohene Djan, the renowned Sports Administrator, named her ‘the Joan of Arc of Ghana hockey.’
Due to her patriotism, she was awarded a Grand Medal by the state in 1997 during the country’s 40th Independence anniversary, while earlier in 1993 she received an award from the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (ECRAG) for designing the national flag.
In 2004, the Kufuor Government, after Cabinet’s approval, named the national hockey pitch Theodosia Salome Okoh National Hockey Pitch, but on July 24, 2013, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, attempted to change the name by renaming the pitch after the late President John Evans Atta Mills, in contravention of the Local Government Act 1993 (Act 462).
Anger
This crude attempt by Oko Vanderpuije received widespread condemnation from many Ghanaians, and, no doubt, Madam Theodosia herself expressed her disgust at the attempt to deny her what was genuinely due her.
In a classic interview by Peace FM’s Kokrokoo host, Kwami Sefa Kayi, on July 25, 2013, then 91-year-old Madam Theodosia expressed anger, as her first response to Kwami indicated: “Na wope se me pressure ko soro anopa yi” (you want to raise my [blood] pressure this morning?).
She asked “…Are they waiting for me to die before they will look for what to name me after? It is so annoying that the name has been changed. Where was he (Prof. Mills) when the place was being constructed? If I have been honoured...you are telling me that because he is dead, you are renaming it after him…”
The most disturbing aspect of the whole episode was the fact that Oko Vanderpuije didn’t find it appropriate and respectful to even inform Madam Theodosia about the intended change of name of the pitch.
“I was not informed...I am not happy about it because when he (late Mills) was alive, he knew the facility was named after me and that was why he didn’t change it, so why now?” the angry Mrs Okoh asked.
Thankfully, President John Mahama acted very promptly to stop the ill-treatment Oko Vanderpuije and his assembly had meted out to this heroine of our country.
On July 28, 2013, the President said: “Let me express our regret to our grandmother Mrs Theodosia Okoh for any emotional trauma she may have suffered as a result of the renaming of the national hockey pitch…the pitch shall continue to be called the Theodosia Okoh National Hockey Stadium,” and he followed up with a visit to the nonagenarian’s home to personally apologise to her.
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It is worthy of note that Madam Theodosia’s design for Ghana’s flag inspired many African countries who attained their independence in later years to adopt similar colours and pattern for their flags.
In her interview with Sefa Kayi on July 25, 2013, one thing stood out. Despite her anger at how Oko Vanderpuije and his assembly had treated her, and despite her age, Madam Theodosia was very civil and humble, as her final words in the interview showed her high level of the humility.
“I’m sorry se anopa yi wo na woneme kasai ama me temper ako soro, mepawokyew ” (I’m sorry you are the one who has spoken to me making my temper to rise; please forgive me). What a woman, in all her anger, which she rightly deserved to express, she apologised to the interviewer for her harshness because of her anger.
I wish many of our public officials would learn this and move from their arrogant postures which we have complained about many times but to no avail.
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Sadly, last Sunday, April 19, 2015, we lost Madam Theodosia Salome Okoh, when the icy hands of death took her away from us. She deserved a better treatment than we gave her as we couldn’t celebrate her enough. We, however, thank God for her life and what she did for Ghana.
May I appeal to the government to consider erecting a deserving statue of this illustrious daughter of our country at an appropriate place in Accra, as an encouragement for posterity to give out their best to the country.
Grandma, Mum and Teacher Theodosia Salome Okoh, fare thee well; may God give you adequate rest in His bosom. Ghanaians thank you for your contributions.
The writer is a political scientist and media and communication expert. Writer’s email: [email protected]
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